BUSTED: EFCC SMASH TICKET RACKETEERS GANG AT TRAIN STATIONS IN ABUJA, KADUNA...5 ARRESTED

With the increasing cases of kidnapping along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, activities of racketeers at the train stations both at the Abuja and Kaduna offices of the train services have witnessed an upsurge.

The activities of these racketeers have been said to have caused an increase in the train fare, which is reportedly targeted at the elites, following the increasing rate of kidnapping on the roads, penultimate week.

And to curb this new scheme by racketeers, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in a sting operation, arrested about five persons suspected of involvement in the train ticket racket both in Abuja and Kaduna.

Reports from the Abuja zonal office reveals that operatives of the anti-graft agency arrested five persons at the Idu and Kubwa offices of the train stations on Saturday, suspected to be involved in the ticket racketeering.

The EFCC gave their names as: Clement Zakka, Udim Sunday Samson, Adams Danladi, Otitomoni Omobolanle and Hassan Dauda. 

Similarly, two persons described as touts and a staff of the train service were also arrested at the Rigasa station in Kaduna on Sunday for the same offence of ticket racketeering by operatives of the agency and will be charged to court, soon.

Spokesman of the agency, Tony Orilade in a statement issued, said the EFCC swung into action after receiving an intelligence report which alleged that some group of people at the Idu and Kubwa train stations had been involved in ticket racketeering which has made it difficult for passengers to have access to tickets. 

The activities of these racketeers, according to the statement is a sabotage to government's efforts in ensuring easy transportation across the country.

Accordingly, the statement from the nation's anti graft agency noted that, following investigations by the EFCC revealed that "some members of staff of the station, in connivance with some touts were defrauding unsuspecting travelers and selling train tickets at a higher rate. For economy ticket of N1,300 /N1,500 they were selling at a rate of N2,000 to N5,000 and for First Class which goes for N2,500 was being sold for between N7,000 to N15,000". 

With this development, three senior officers of the Station in Kaduna have been invited by the Commission's Kaduna Zonal Office for questioning. These include the Station Manager, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Parcel Booking Officer of the Kaduna Railway Station.